Aardvark Research Paper

Community: An aardvark’s community consists of ants, termites, lions, hyenas, and leopards.

Interspecific Interactions (interspecific competition, mutualism, predation, herbivory): Aardvarks are omnivores because they eat ants, termites, grass, roots, and occasionally underground fruits. They are predated by lions, hyenas, and leopards. They also face interspecific competition with animals such as prairie dogs and weasels, vying for a similar diet of insects, grass, and roots.

Level of Trophic Structure: Aardvarks are considered to be primary consumers on the trophic structure.

Ecological Niche: Aardvarks live in plains where insects are available, such as the grasslands of Africa; they use their large claws to dig into anthills and termite

Interspecific Interactions (interspecific competition, mutualism, predation, herbivory): Striped skunks are omnivores because they eat insects and larvae, earthworms, eggs, berries, roots, leaves, and grass. In addition, they are predators of rodents, lizards, and frogs. They are predated by animals such as coyotes and wild dogs, however these animals tend to resort to other predators due to the skunk’s pungent odor. On the other hand, owls have a poor sense of smell, therefore they are a main predator of skunks.

Level of Trophic Structure: Striped skunks are considered to be secondary consumers on the trophic structure.

Ecological Niche: Striped skunks live in numerous biomes including temperate grasslands, where they are able to inhibit abandoned burrows or create their own; they cannot climb, so their homes are always on the ground. They are opportunistic feeders, therefore they eat what is available at different times or places; as omnivores, their diets consist of insects, rodents, lizards, berries, roots, and grass. They are predated by animals such as owls that have a poor sense of smell, however animals such as coyotes and wild dogs do predate skunks, but tend to resort to other predators without pungent